The Final Battle
by OneLuckyStar
Summary: Ash has been forced to stop his attempt to be a Pokemon Master due to his accident, but when the fate of the world depends on his ability to step back into the Pokemon World, what will he do? Minor shipping. Main characters: Ash, Gary, and Misty. R&R!
1. An Accident

Light begins to break through the blinds of a rundown apartment, awakening Ash Ketchum from his short night's rest. He hadn't slept well at night since he was young teenager, and now being a young adult, he barely sleeps at all. Not that sleep is very important anymore. There is really nothing to wake up for nowadays.

Ash grunts as he pulls himself out of bed, lacking the energy he once took for granted. His eyes glance over to the corner of his apartment to see his lifelong friend Pikachu curled up in a ball, continuing his rest. The young trainer living near the apartment complex should be coming to get Pikachu for his weekly training soon. It had been two years since Ash had worked with Pikachu, or any of his Pokémon for that matter! But ever since the accident, none of that mattered anymore.

…

"And he has done it, folks!" exclaimed the female announcer. "Ash Ketchum is now our new League Champion! And by what I have been informed, he is now eligible to compete for the valuable title of Pokémon Master!"

The roaring crowd jumps to their feet to take a look at the newest competitor for Pokémon Master. Ash stands proudly in the middle of arena, with Pikachu cheering on his shoulder. He looks to his side only to see his mother and various friends rushing toward him.

His mother, Delia, is the first to grab him in her arms.

"You are going to do great things in life, sweetie! You'll be twice the man your father ever was!" Delia says while holding Ash tight. She lets go of her grip and exchanges a simple nod with her son.

"Brock! Gary!" Ash yells as he sees his companion and childhood friend come to his side.

"You finally did it!" Brock said with excitement in his voice. "It took a while, but hey! It was worth it in the end!"

"You got that right, Brocko!" Ash replied.

"But Ash," Gary said, busting in the middle of their conversation. "You do realize you wouldn't have even come close to being this far if I had still been a Pokémon trainer!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ash jokingly replied. "In your dreams, buddy!"

Gary does a quick smirk to the side, but then looks back to Ash. "Well, how about it! We'll

celebrate tonight! Want to gather up and meet up at the park by the cliff, just like old times?"

"Sure! Sounds great!" Ash exclaimed. "I can't wait."

Ash continued to be greeted by several past companions and friends, including May, Tracey, and Dawn. Misty couldn't be there due to being the Cerulean City gym leader, but Ash had already been informed that she would be at the celebration tonight. He couldn't wait to see her. She had been his best friend all his life, and had shown him right from wrong. He would have never been in this position today if it weren't for her. But, since taking over the title of Cerulean City gym leader, they hadn't been able to stay in touch very well. But tonight, they would be able to catch up on everything that has gone on throughout their lives for the past few years.

…

"Ash," Misty said with her hand on Ash's shoulder. "I don't think you should drink anymore." She tries to pull him away from the beer cooler, but he resists.

"I'll be fine, Mist," Ash says between gulps. "Besides, what's the point of Gary bringing all this if we don't drink it?" Ash looks at Misty with deep, tired eyes. She looks deep into them, but they weren't the eyes she knew so well. These eyes were taken over by alcohol. There were no plans originally for there to be beer at this celebration for Ash's victory, but of course, Gary had to bring out the cooler. Misty had barely had time to speak to Ash before he started drinking after the toast. She had a whole list of things in her head that she wanted to tell him, but how could she tell him when he was out of it like this?

"I don't know…" Misty attempts to say, only to be interrupted by Gary.

"Hey guys," Gary says with beer in hand. "Let's go for a drive in my convertible by the cliff, watch the sunset."

"Alright! Let's go!" Ash says, tossing his drink to the side. Gary and he begin to walk towards the car, but Misty doesn't budge. "You coming, Mist?"

"Neither of you are in any shape to drive. Please don't go!"

"Come on," Gary says, "we only had one, maybe two beers! What harm would that do?"

Misty continues to stare at the boys. They were by no means in good condition to drive. One beer, two beers, three beers, four beers, it doesn't matter! Drunk driving is still completely

unsafe, and she did not want anything to happen to herself or her best friends.

"Whatever, come on, Ash." The boys begin to walk off slowly, leaving Misty behind.

"Guys, don't!" Misty yells at them, but they completely blow her off. "Please!" She yells at the top of her lungs while chasing after them.

…

Ash slowly opens his eyes to a dimly lit hospital room. Where is he? How did he get here?

He lifts his head slightly to look at himself, lying in the bulky hospital bed. Pain surges through his body with each slight move of his body. Ash sees the IV in his arm, and his body covered in various casts. His eyes look to his left arm, not covered in a cast, to see it covered in deep blue and purple bruises and several scrapes and cuts. What had happened to him?

Ash's eye catches a glimpse of a brunette in a pink shirt sitting by his bedside. "Mom?"

"Ash!" Delia's eyes light up with excitement and she hurries to her only son's side. "Oh my, thank goodness you're okay!" She leans down to give her son a kiss on the forehead, but stops herself before making contact. She then gently strokes her fingers through his hair and cautiously gives him a soft kiss on the top of his head.

"Mom?" Ash's eyes begin to quickly dart around the room, looking at his mother, his IV, and all his injuries. He attempts to jolt himself up out of the bed, but pain rushes through his body. Ash begins to groan with pain in his eyes.

"Ash, honey, it's okay. Don't stress yourself." Ash's mother says with sympathy in her eyes.

"What happened, Mom?" Ash questioned weakly. "What happened to me?"

Delia looks at Ash deep in the eyes and sighs. "Well, Ash, you were at a party last night to celebrate your being the new League Champion." Ash nodded to signal that he remembered that much. "So, someone decided it was a bright idea to bring beer to the party. Now, if I had been there, there would have been no such thing to have happened, but that is beside the point now. Anyways, you and Gary got drunk and decided to go out for a drive next to the cliff in his convertible. Gary was driving and the car got out of control. When Gary stopped the car, it slid to a sharp stop next to the cliff." Tears begin to well up in Delia's eyes. "You were flung out of the car and off the cliff. You landed on a ledge about halfway down, thank goodness. But you still have many severe injuries." Delia grabs a hold of her son's weak hand, and tears being to roll down her face.

"Mom," Ash said, "I'm okay." Actually, that was a huge lie. Ash was nowhere near being 'okay', but for his mom's sake, he had to be as close to being 'okay' as possible.

"So, uh," Ash said, breaking the silence. "Mom, if you weren't at the party, how do you know what happened?"

"Oh! Misty told me," Delia replied. "She was apparently the only one at the party sober, the only reliable source."

Ash lightened up at the sound of her name. "Misty? Where is she?"

"Oh, I think she's in the waiting area. I'll go get her."

"Thanks," Ash replied as his mother left the room. Ash could remember his redheaded best friend trying to stop him from getting in the car, but he just blew her off like a fly buzzing by. Why couldn't he have listened to her? She had known right from wrong, and always led Ash in the right path, but Ash still didn't listen. Alcohol may have been taking over his mind, but still, he should've known to listen to her. Ash didn't deserve a friend as great as her, and she needed someone better than him.

The hospital room door slowly crept open, and a familiar redhead peaked her head through the door. Her eyes appeared puffy as though she has been crying and she was wearing the same clothes as the night before. "How are you doing, Ash?" Misty asked with worry in her tone.

"Not too hot, as I'm sure you can tell," Ash replied with a hint of humor in his voice.

Misty walks over to sit in the seat next to Ash's bed. She leans over the bed to look at him, taking in the moment. She never thought that Ash would be in this situation. He had attempted many much more risky tasks, but never had he ever been this injured. Sure, maybe a few cuts and bruises, but never this bad.

"Trust me, I can tell," Misty said with a sigh. "I was so scared when I saw you fly off that cliff. I didn't know what to think. You were both so drunk. Gary started laughing when you flew off the cliff; he was in such a different world. I ran over to the edge of the cliff to see what had happened, and when I saw that you landed not too far down, I felt a bit relieved, but still in complete shock. I thought I had lost you."

Misty slowly grabs Ash's hand and puts it in her own, holding it tight. "In that moment when you flew off the cliff, so many things went through my head. I remembered all the times we had spent together, good and bad. I remember how we would get into fights all the time, but in the end you would give me a smile and it would all be better. I remembered every battle you fought, every badge you won, everything. And then, I remembered the worst, and the best, of them all: the day we had to go our separate ways. It was hard to leave it all behind, but with that, we both grew closer than ever. But still, I've missed you, Ash." Misty turned away from Ash for a moment, regaining her composition. She turned back to him, leaning in closer.

"Ash, in that moment when I was afraid you were gone forever, I realized something. I, umm, I don't know how to say this, but Ash, I- I love y-you." Misty said, tears welling to her eyes while she leaned in closer to Ash until they were sharing the same air. "More than a friend," she whispered faintly. Slowly, their lips met in a soft kiss, which soon turned deeper.

Ash was taken by surprise. Never did he think that his best friend would do this. But Ash wasn't only surprised with Misty, but with himself as well. He would've never thought that he would enjoy her kiss or appreciate that she loved him more than just a friend. Ash began to wonder he and Misty could really be together. Was this moment real?

Of course it was real, but could they come together as a couple? Ash began to remember his earlier thoughts. Misty was way too good for him. She deserves someone so much better than this lousy person in this hospital bed with an IV stuck up his arm! It wasn't that Misty couldn't have Ash, but that Ash couldn't have Misty.

Ash closed his mouth from the kiss. "Stop, we can't."

Misty stands up to look at Ash. "What do you mean? Do you not feel the same?"

"No, it's just, Misty, we can't. You can do so much better than me…"

She looks down at Ash with confusion. "What? How… I don't understand."

Ash looks away from her. "You're much better than I am Misty. There are so many guys out there suitable to you, and I'm not one of them."

Misty begins to cry. "Ash!" She yells between weeps. "I love you, not some other guy out there that is 'suitable' for me! Please, just let me have what I want for once!" She begins to lean back down to kiss him again, but Ash pushes her away with his unbroken arm.

"No! Get off of me!" Ash screams. Misty looks at him, shaking as she stares. Her tears begin to double in size. "Misty, understand…"

"Ash," Misty said. "I love you and always have. But I guess you never will do the same for me." She rushes out of the room, tears streaming down her eyes.

Ash laid in his bed, wondering what he had done. Even though it felt so horrible, he knew he had done the right thing. Misty could do such great things with her life, and he wouldn't be the one to hold her back because he wouldn't listen to her the night before. He knew he had made the right choice, but would he and Misty ever be the same again?

…

That accident had ruined his life. He didn't fully recover for a year, and even after that he was still very slow. After living with his mom for a year while he recovered, Ash eventually fell off the face of the Pokémon world. All of his Pokémon were sent to Professor Oak, except for Pikachu. At first, Gary would give Pikachu a weekly training to stay in shape, but once Ash was on his own in an apartment; he had to hire a young trainer to train him. He didn't use the best training methods, but at least Pikachu was staying healthy.

Ash was all alone now, barely making it by with the remaining prize money he had from winning Pokémon tournaments. He hadn't spoken to Misty since the incident, and had grown apart from all his friends.

If Ash's life doesn't find a turnaround soon, no one can tell what may happen.


	2. Need For a Master

Gary sat alone in his grandfather's lab, researching the various starter Pokémon from the different regions. Being the grandson of one of the most valuable Pokémon professors of all time had its perks, especially for a Pokémon researcher in the making.

Silence was so golden these days, as children turning ten would come by the hour to pick up their first Pokémon to set off on their journey. Gary could remember the morning he turned ten like it was yesterday, not seven years ago. He had selected Squirtle as his starter. Well, not exactly _selected,_ he more than less just took it because it was the only one left. He had woken up a little late, but luckily for him, his family lived in a house next to the lab. As he walked away from the lab, he ran into Ash, running late as usual. But, he would never admit that he had been late as well. Not to Ash, especially. So, he made a snooty remark about how great his starter Pokémon was, and then walked away to embark on his own separate journey.

Gary had always had problems with having to be the best at everything he did, especially Ash. Since they were very young, all the talk had been Ash this, Ash that, nothing good was ever said about Gary. They always said that Ash had to have inherited some of his father's great Pokémon training genes, and he was likely to be even better. Like he could help it that his parents refused to capture and train Pokémon! They had always called it a sin to Arceus, whatever that means.

Due to that, Gary always strived to be the best, even if it meant hurting his best friend in the process.

He chose to be a Pokémon trainer only because it was Ash's choice as well. His parents were never truly happy with that decision, but his grandfather always supported him throughout whatever he chose to do in life. Gary fought many battles and won many badges, but in the end, he realized that Ash would always come out on top in Pokémon training. Gary decided then that there was no point in trying to better than Ash, and that he just needed to be himself. He decided to go on his own path to become a Pokémon researcher in his grandfather's footsteps.

It seemed odd to Gary that he seemed to be on the right track after all that had happened, rather than Ash.

Since the day of the accident, Gary had trouble dealing with the fact of it. Everytime someone would begin to ask about it or just simply mention the ordeal, Gary would refuse to speak about it or would walk away from the situation all together. He knew it was his fault. If it weren't for him, Ash would be a Pokémon Master by now, not lying around in a rundown apartment. It was all his fault.

…

He had sat in the waiting area at the hospital with the others, waiting to hear how severe the injuries were. Gary had been confused about what had happened, even though Misty carefully explained it to him in the waiting area. He could remember nothing of what had happened before, except for that Ash had been knocked out. But it was very clear to Gary that it was his fault.

So much was on his mind, he didn't even notice Ash's mother joyfully say that Ash was awake and that he wanted to see Misty. He didn't notice the sudden brightness in Misty's cerulean eyes or her sudden rush to Ash's room. He didn't even notice Ash and Misty yelling at each other in the hospital room. He only happened to look up to see tears streaming from Misty's eyes as she fled out of the hospital room, grabbed her coat, and headed for the exit.

_Man, Ash's condition must be really bad,_ Gary thought to himself. And it was all his fault…

He decided he needed to see Ash for himself. He didn't know if he could talk to him or not, but he wanted to. Without speaking, Gary stood up from his seat and slowly walked up to the hospital room. He let out a deep sigh and opened the door, slowly stepping inside.

There lay Ash, hooked to an IV and covered in casts. He was looking to the side, away from the door. He had a grimace on his face as if he was angry at something and tears rolled down his face. Ash seemed to notice Gary's presence in the room and his head to look at him.

"I'll never be good enough," Ash said, looking at Gary.

A wave of guilt flooded over Gary as he began to feel tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't take this any longer. As soon as he possibly could, he turned around and walked away. He held back his tears until he stepped out of the hospital. He couldn't show himself breaking down to anyone; he _was _Gary Oak after all. But as soon as no one was looking, he cried. For once, he allowed his own emotions to shine through, not the emotions of people's conception of Gary. Just his own.

Gary never attempted to see Ash after that. While Ash was back living with his mother, he would come and train Pikachu every week. It was the very least he could do, considering it was impossible for him to interact with Ash without breaking down. Gary would be sure to come early in the morning to pick up Pikachu, knowing Ash wouldn't be awake yet.

A year after the accident, Delia called Gary to tell him that Ash had moved out on his own and his training was no longer needed. A million questions went through his mind. Where is he going? Will he be okay? What will he do about his Pokémon? Can he even live on his own? But even though a million questions surged, all he could choke out was okay before he hung up the phone.

And now, another year has passed on. Gary blocked the memory out of his mind, but anyone that knew Gary well could tell he wasn't the same as before.

…

Just as Gary was about to calculate the strength of Squirtle's shell against Charmander's fire power, there was a knock at the door. He placed his book back onto the desk from which it came, and walked to the door. Gary swiftly opened the door in one movement.

In front of him stood a middle aged man, a little younger than his own grandfather. He was wearing a stiff black suit that would make anyone see him as an average business man until you glanced up to his rough, scarred face with an uneven goatee and shaggy gray locks of hair, which were an obvious "at home" haircut. The man's eyes under his bushy eyebrows had a deep darkness to them as he stared at Gary. He appeared to be in some type of invisible pain as he stood there.

"Can I help you?" Gary asked the man with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

The man stared at Gary for a second before reaching inside his coat to pull out a shiny metallic badge with the National Pokémon League Government insignia on it. "Russell Jones, Head of the NPLG. You know who we are, right, little boy?"

Of course he knew. Who hadn't heard of the NPLG or Russell Jones? The NPLG were pretty much the leaders of everything, controlling every action, move, and part of the Pokémon world, and Russell Jones was the ringleader of it all.

Gary's grandfather had told him tons about the NPLG. Their mission statement: Keep the Pokémon world at peace. They kept all people and Pokémon in line, at any cost. But one thing that not everyone knew about them was their attempts to keep the Pokémon world separate from the other world, a world without Pokémon. Gary only knew because it had slipped out of his grandfather a few times during tough times, but sometimes he wished he didn't know. It was a place that still had people, plants, buildings, and even had the sun! But the only thing it lacked was Pokémon. It had something called animals instead, whatever that was. The thought was nice, but what was the hardest was not being to tell anyone about it. What he would give to tell someone that their sky and sun was some other world's too! But with the NPLG, that would never happen.

Everyone knew the National Pokémon League Government. Who wouldn't know their wannabe dictators?

But even though he knew everything about the NPLG, he kept staring at the man. Gary was standing in front of Russell Jones, the man never seen, only heard. Russell Jones never made public appearances or had his picture taken for a newspaper; he only made weekly newsletters concerning the economic state of the Pokémon world. They were always short and sweet, making the Pokémon world sound perfect. Pretty much the same thing was in one week's letter as the last, but everyone read them, nonetheless. Gary had always suspected Russell Jones didn't write those letters though, because he had seen the _real _newsletters. The thick, multiple paged newsletters secretly shipped to every important person in the Pokémon world, including Gary's grandfather, Professor Samuel Oak. Like many other things Gary shouldn't know, he only found this from being too curious in his grandfather's lab. They told the truth, not the short crap only made to keep the public happy.

"Look," Russell said, interrupting the silence. "I need to see Samuel Oak. Now."

"Why do you need to-"

"Kid, if you do not take me to him now, it can and will be charged as a federal crime against you. And I don't think your mommy and daddy would be very happy about that," Russell said forcefully, taking a step forward into the doorway to stare in Gary's face with a tight grip on his shoulder.

"O-okay, follow me," Gary said, shaking Russell's hand off of him. He guided him down the hallway to the door of his grandfather's office.

"I can take it from here," Russell said. "Just go back to your Game Boy, or whatever kids do nowadays."

Russell opened the door with no hesitation and slammed it shut just as fast. Gary's 'in your business' attitude made him need to know why the man never seen was here to talk to his grandfather. Something had to be wrong. He sat down in the hallway next to the door and gently pressed his ear on the cold wood of the door.

"Russell Jones!" Professor Oak exclaimed. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Sit down. I don't have much time so I need to get straight to the point." Russell said with authority. "We haven't mentioned it much, because we didn't think the time would come this soon. We thought we still had time to prepare for it, but all the signs have arrived."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard to old folktale of the purpose of Pokémon Masters?"

"Of course I have. Pokémon Masters are said to be protectors of the Pokémon world. The folktale says that one day, four Pokémon Masters will have to step up to battle Arceus to keep him from destroying the world. It isn't known how or why, but our fate would be in their hands. But nowadays," Professor Oak said with a chuckle, "they only want it for the title of being a Pokémon Master. But it makes sense. That old story is completely crazy, right?"

Then there was silence.

"That's why I'm here." Russell said with grief in his voice. "The story, it's true. And it is happening now. Many years ago, the top Pokémon scientists thoroughly studied the inscriptions from where the old folktale came from. It told of the signs of the disaster to what will have to be done to solve it. It also said that no one can speak of or somehow spread exactly what was in the inscriptions or we would most certainly have no chance of survival. The current government and I only know of the signs because one brave Pokémon scientist wrote them down, with a few other details, before perishing into thin air. The note was then delivered to the government and has been passed down since. So, all we know are the signs, and that four Pokémon Masters are needed to battle Arceus."

"Wait, why don't we perish from telling the old folktale?"

"It's not an exact detail. Just a sugar coated sample of the real deal."

"Then why doesn't the government go back and look at the inscriptions? Take some pictures so you wouldn't be actually speaking of it or spreading it around."

"We can't. The first and only group who went into the cave in which they are hidden realized the dangers of others coming and reading the inscriptions, so they locked off the cave to everyone. The only way to get in now is by being in the group of selected Pokémon Masters."

"Well," Professor Oak sighed. "I just, I can't believe it's all true. And it's happening now! I'm just in disbelief… But Pokémon Masters are here for a reason. I'm confident they will be able to stop this. But, I have to ask, who are the four selected Masters?"

Another lengthy silence…

"That's the real problem. As of today, there are only three living Pokémon Masters. The legend calls for four, and it will not work any other way. Our world will be doomed."

"Are you sure? I mean, did you check everywhere?"

"Yes, all across our planet. The want to be a Pokémon Master has decreased over the years, and with the challenge being incredibly difficult, only three have made it to be a Pokémon Master in the recent days. But that's the main reason I came especially to you."

"Why?"

"From what our records show, there is one person who has the qualifications to become a Pokémon Master, and they only have to defeat the final challenge. There is no more time for anyone else to gain the qualifications. The next and final chance for a Pokémon Master Trial is in twenty days, and Arceus will be ready in thirty days. This trainer is our last hope."

"Who are they, then?"

"The boy is from Pallet, which is why I came to you. His name is Ash Ketchum. Does it ring a bell to you?"

A shiver went down Gary's spine. Ash was the only one who could save our world? But he isn't training anymore. How could he get back to where he was in twenty days and become a Pokémon Master? If it weren't for the accident, he would already be a Pokémon Master and there would be no problem with battling Arceus. But Gary had ruined Ash's life, and had ruined the fate of the world as well.

Gary's body was shaking and going weak. He had not thought of the accident of Ash in so long, and now the thick barrier built in his mind had burst open, sending all the thoughts and memories through his head. He put his hand up on the door knob to brace himself. Gary couldn't hear them talking anymore, so he leaned closer to the door. Then, in a sudden movement, his hand slipped and turned the doorknob, opening the door and throwing Gary onto the floor of his grandfather's office.

"Gary!" Professor Oak screamed. "What are you doing?"

"Son," Russell said. "You better have not been listening outside," he said while standing up out of his seat to step toward Gary.

Gary took one look up the Russell, then glanced to his grandfather's worried face. In a shot of adrenaline, he burst off the floor and ran out of the room and headed toward the exit. He could hear Russell yelling randomly and his grandfather pleading for him the come back to them, but that couldn't stop him. He didn't know where he was going or what he was doing next, but he knew one thing…

He had to find Ash.


End file.
